Originally conceived for military service, the Mercedes-Benz G550 will take you back to a time when SUVs were all about fording rivers and skipping over sand dunes. While the exterior is utilitarian enough to intimidate city folk, the inside is stocked with every convenience and fine finish that Mercedes can muster.
What's New for 2014
The G550 gets LED daytime running lights and a freshened dash and center console.
Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz G550
Befitting a rig of its stature, the G550 comes standard with full-time four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case and three electrically operated differential locks. Every example gets a 5.5-liter V8 with 382 horsepower and a seven-speed automatic transmission.
As expected, the cabin is festooned with high-quality leather, fine wood and sophisticated electronics, including hard-drive navigation and adaptive cruise control. On the safety front, you get emergency brake assist, lane-keeping assist, a collision mitigation system and automated parking assistance.
With this level of standard equipment, configuring your G550 is simply a matter of personal taste. The only individual options are a heated steering, carbon fiber interior trim and a dark Alcantara (suede-like) headliner. The biggest decision you will face is selecting from the pallet of available “designo” Nappa leathers and exotic woods, which have a mouth-watering effect on interior ambience.
Choose Your Mercedes-Benz G550 >>
It’s hard to overstate just how much premium equipment is packed into the G550. Such pampering stands in delightful contrast to the military-spec exterior. If that sounds good to you, you’ll probably be as fascinated by this SUV as we are.